| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Musical instruments [1] |
| Founded | 1884 [2] |
| Founder | Alexander Parker Willis [3] |
| Headquarters | Landshut, Germany |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Grand pianos and upright pianos |
| Website | willispiano.com |
Willis & Co. is a piano manufacturer, formerly founded in 1884 by Alexander Parker Willis and based in Landshut, Bavaria, Germany. [4] A retailer of Willis & Co. in Canada was sold by the Willis family in 1967, [4] and went out of business in 1979. [5] The global branch was merged with the Landshut Willis company in Germany. [4]
History
In 1884, a retailer of Willis & Co. was established in Quebec, Montreal [6] by Alexander Parker Willis. [4]
In 1900, Willis & Co. acquired the major shares of the Lesage & Fils piano factory. [7]
In 1907, Willis & Co. purchased controlling interest in the Lesage Piano Company and the firm started producing “Willis & Company” brand pianos full time. [8]
In 1910, at its peak, Willis & Co. made close to 3000 pianos each year. [9]
In 1967, the Canadian retailer was vended by the Willis family, and the global branch was merged with the Landshut Willis company in Germany. [4]
On August 30, 1976, brand Willis ( registered number:DE948592 [10]) was approved by German Patent and Trade Mark Office. [10]
Willis' latest trademark update time took place on June 29, 2016, [11] whose current registered number is DE302016214832. [12]
References
- ^ Lisgar Collegiate Institute. Vox Lycei 1928-1929. Lisgar Alumni Association. pp. 43–. GGKEY:YRY9YYJW6E7.
- ^ Pierce Piano Atlas, Volume 12. Bob Pierce. 2008. ISBN 9780911138078. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ^ "Willis & Company". antiquepianoshop.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "About Willis & Co. Pianos". willispiano.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Willis & Company Ltd.-The Canadian Encyclopedia". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Feb 7, 2006.
- ^ W.H. New; William Herbert New (6 August 2003). A History of Canadian Literature. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. pp. 376–. ISBN 978-0-7735-2597-9.
- ^ Robert Palmieri (June 2004). The Piano: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. pp. 219–. ISBN 978-1-135-94964-8.
- ^ "Willis clan left mark in entertainment, news industries". Retrieved 23 Aug 2011 – via PressReader.
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^
Willis & Company. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
{{ cite book}}:|work=ignored ( help) - ^ a b "WIPO Global Brand Database DE948592 - Willis". World Intellectual Property Organization. August 30, 1976.
- ^ "Registerauskunft des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamtes". German Patent and Trade Mark Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ "WIPO Global Brand Database DE302016214832 - Willis". World Intellectual Property Organization. Retrieved June 29, 2016.